“Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed”, Michael Pritchard
This week has been a bad one. The combination of torn buttocks muscles, reactivated/re-injured herniated disk, bursitis, trapped nerve , and fibromyalgia have depleted me. I cannot walk without tremendous pain. I had to go to my doctor ‘s office in a wheelchair, a humbling experience. I began to wonder if the pain would ever leave and more importantly, which of my above structural issues caused this unusual (for me) dis-ability. It seemed important to know…which one is the cause of this pain?
The most wonderful experience of the week so far was meeting the resident physician in my own doctor’s office (who is himself a very caring, thoughtful, knowledgeable physician). This resident in Family Medicine is both a chiropractor and a medical doctor. How fortunate for me. Given the knowledge that chiropractors would have in regard to my own muscle/bone issues, I was happily surprised that I had an expert in regard to the herniated disk, which worried me the most. I spent an hour in the office with both he and my family doctor, talking me through my fears. I left greatly relieved although I knew I had a long struggle ahead of me, particularly in regard to managing fears of danger that comes with pain. How lucky I am to live in such a great country with this wonderful health care system. How wonderful to find a combination of disciplines within the traditional medical perspective of physicians, particularly with my doctor-phobia.
I believe that it helped me keep up with regular activities and my professional career. For the past two decades I have not done yoga even though I knew that the benefits would sustain me as I grew older. I lacked discipline and the pain and fatigue has increased considerably since then. I have very little flexibility.
